John Williams' Piano Concerto for Emmanuel Ax - Premieres Saturday, July 26, 2025

[bruce marshall 1,967]

3 minutes ago, artus_grayboot said:

I will be there tomorrow!

Don't put ' spoilers ' in your review😉

[Will 2,393]

Program notes: https://www.bso.org/works/john-williams-concerto-for-piano-and-orchestra

 

Quote

Composing a piano concerto was, for me, particularly challenging given the enormous canon of rich and diverse piano and orchestral masterworks created over the past centuries. Although my effort here is not a jazz piece per se, much of the impetus to write it down has been my memory of the particular “sound” produced by three legendary jazz pianists. Past this simple concept, the music is in no way an attempt to serve as a portrait of each of these artists, but merely to suggest and remember the unique artistic personalities of three men who greatly inspired me along with so many other lovers of the piano around the world.

 

Firstly, Art Tatum. When I was fifteen or sixteen years old, I remember a scene in a Los Angeles jazz club which welcomed underaged patrons providing they didn’t drink. I saw a large man who was clearly not sighted being carefully guided to his place at the piano. The lights were turned down so as not to offend his eyes. He seemed to be huge. His piano also seemed enormous…not with the usual 88 keys, but seemingly with twelve additional keys at either end of the keyboard, accommodating his massive reach. The size of his sound was awesome and reminded one of Rachmaninoff. He played three chords, listened, and played them again with an added note or two. He seemed satisfied and then began with a brief cadenza which served as his warm-up. The avalanche of gems that followed could hardly be imagined.

 

Secondly, Bill Evans. The second movement begins with a viola solo. Why? This may be because Bill was a quiet and very ethereal man who, when he approached the piano, always seemed to be less interested in playing than listening to what the piano may have to tell us. His piano eventually joins the viola, supporting Bill’s ethereal mood while further investigations ensue.

 

Thirdly, tall, handsome Oscar Peterson emerges, looking like an NFL wide receiver on his day off. After a brief salutation from the timpani, he begins with a bristling and famous “bebop” passage composed by whom we do not know but often attributed to Oscar and to the late Phineas Newborn, who also possessed a similar technical prowess. It serves as a reminder of Oscar’s athletic affinity, which he always displayed with taste and the most graceful control. 
 

I’ve always so greatly admired pianist Emanuel Ax, who is universally celebrated for his technical brilliance, refined elegance and great artistic sensibilities. He is also one of the most gracious gentlemen I’ve had the privilege to know. When I first met Manny years ago, I asked him if in his travels he ever encountered a bad piano. He replied simply, “all pianos are my friends.” I had only mentioned to a few friends and associates that I might be interested in writing a work for piano and orchestra. You can imagine my surprise and delight when Manny called me to say, “if you write it, I will play it!” I could not have been more grateful and honored. 
 

John Williams, June 2025

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 8,369]

Can listen to the broadcast here, where there's a short interview with Ax up right now:

 

https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-04-24/a-john-williams-world-premiere-with-emmanuel-ax-at-tanglewood

[filmmusic 3,133]

10 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Can listen to the broadcast here

When is the broadcast?

I'm confuzed with all the different timezones..

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

7 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

When is the broadcast?

I'm confuzed with all the different timezones..

 

Should be midnight UTC I think.

[filmmusic 3,133]

2 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Should be midnight UTC I think.

oh! It will be 3 a.m. here. I will be sleeping!

[Jay 45,585]

I'm at Tanglewood! Gorgeous night for a concert. 

 

Just met @Maestro at a book signing for his book, which sold out!

 

If anybody wants to meet up, I'm not sure where the best spot is...

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

21 minutes ago, Jay said:

If anybody wants to meet up, I'm not sure where the best spot is...

 

Just down West Street...on the left.

[Jay 45,585]

I haven't been here early enough to walk around the grounds in so long. Forgot how cool of a place this is

Heading to the beer garden near the left side entrance to the shed

[Damien F 2,002]

I have very fond memories of Tanglewood. The only time I visited was for a JW concert in 2005. It was also my first time outside of Ireland. That was quite an adventure for my first time abroad! Hope everyone there has a great time.

[backfromthedead 64]

Just tuned in online and am rather excited.

[Jay 45,585]

In my seat, show's about to start!

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

Listening to the live stream, and it instantly sounds more accessible to me (and actually more like the film Williams we not-just-blockbuster listeners know) than e.g. the violin concerto.

[Sunshine Reger 3,711]

The 1st movement sounds closer to film Williams than I expected, identifiable both in harmony and in orchestration.

 

Like the most jazzy bits of E.T. and Jurassic Park. Also Raiders and ROTJ. Nice retro Williams!

 

@Marian Schedenig yes, I also thought of the VC2 in comparison. Let's hear the 2nd movement

[BachSkywalker 209]

Really nice second movement. Lovely viola solo at the beginning and lots of great cello section passages. Very beautiful. (Parts of it reminded a bit of the A.I. score...)

[Sunshine Reger 3,711]

2nd movement reminds me of Stargazers, of Rounds from the VC2, has a fine tension arc at the beginning.

 

Later seems to dive into the world of 1960s / 1970s film scores for crime and thriller films by Williams, Goldsmith, Morricone, or Jerry Fielding.

 

There are other elements to it, but I would say the movement is stronger at the beginning than later.

 

Really enjoying staying up at 2:30 to comment live on the premiere. Thought I would regret it later if I didn't.

 

Edit: the third movement fleeted by, but I liked the end and the brevity of the entire PC that emerges after the three movements. Perhaps better as a 25 minute piece than if it dragged to 40.

[backfromthedead 64]

Amazing!

[pete 1,313]

Drats, I missed the first movement and 99% of the second. I somehow thought it was starting later. Anyway, I am enjoying the third movement. Lots of energy, and a great finish - which just happened as I was typing this. It was pretty short - five minutes or less? I remember reading the whole concerto was approx. 15 minutes.

 

Well, that leaves lots of room for some extra goodies on the CD!

[BachSkywalker 209]

Wow. that last movement is phenomenal. Lots of shades of Prokofiev, and a little bit of action cues from his film scores. Really great piece. Loved it. Can't wait for the official recording!

[scarecroe 3]

I started recording too late; only got the last movement and a half 

[backfromthedead 64]

The sound online was really good. Felt like you were there.

[lairdo 941]

Loved it on first listen. Just got better and better. 
 

So happy to hear JW is there. Is he in the wheelchair? 
 

I suspect this will get recorded in the January BSO concert along with the other JW pieces. So we may have to wait until next year for a recording. 
 

Great piece. Such energy. 

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

This was fun! More than I would have expected from a Williams concerto, to be honest. Exciting finale, and the whole thing seemed rather brisk and "short" (in a good way, I guess). Might well be worth a trip to Berlin next year.

 

The commentator on WCRB described Williams showing a "gesture familiar to visitors of the Boston Pops concerts" (or something to that effect), and he wouldn't have had to continue describing which gesture he meant.

[zoltan_902 166]

I recorded the Concerto portion of the concert from the live stream. Am I allowed to share it here? I know it will be available on demand on the website soon enough though. 

[scoreman36 192]

Astonishing from start to finish. Certainly more towards the ‘accessible’ side of his concert output, and the JW sound was unmistakably there throughout. So many film scores popped into my head - mostly A.I., I reckon, and certainly some CMIYC in that last movement. Can’t wait to hear it again tomorrow, it’s very late now. 
How amazing we’re talking about a brand new piece written by someone who was born when Edward Elgar was still alive!!

[Jay 45,585]

Yes, might be my favorite concerto of his. At times I was reminded of Images, AI, Minority Report, and something else I couldn't place, but by and large it was wholly unique... And fun!

[Foxfan 231]

1 hour ago, Damien F said:

I have very fond memories of Tanglewood. The only time I visited was for a JW concert in 2005. It was also my first time outside of Ireland. That was quite an adventure for my first time abroad! Hope everyone there has a great time.

I was there that night - with Josh Groban making his second or third Tanglewood appearance, right?

 

And the film montage including the film version of The Arrival of Tink and the Flight to Neverland.

1 hour ago, Jay said:

I haven't been here early enough to walk around the grounds in so long. Forgot how cool of a place this is

Heading to the beer garden near the left side entrance to the shed

 

How close was your seat? Got a pic of the Maestro on stage for applause?

46 minutes ago, BachSkywalker said:

Wow. that last movement is phenomenal. Lots of shades of Prokofiev, and a little bit of action cues from his film scores. Really great piece. Loved it. Can't wait for the official recording!

 

Yep the tympani thumps at the end similar to Adventures of Mutt.

[filmmusic 3,133]

So I guess from your comments, this was not atonal, right?

[Miguel Andrade 1,707]

Loved the Concerto. As I've been listening to Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson regularly for over an year now, I kind of could hear them in their respective movements. Not so much their playing, but some sort of musical portrait of them and their musicality (if that makes any sense).

[Tom 6,547]

10 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

So I guess from your comments, this was not atonal, right?

I would say similar vein to Conversations, but with orchestra.  Some really lovely moments, though, that veer away from dissonance.   I thought the first movement was okay (it will probably grow on me); the second was fantastic, and the third was as thrilling as any Williams concert work (I don't include fanfares and such with that designation).  

 

Up to this point, I think his best thrill-ride piece of this sort was the last movement of Soundings.  I think I liked the new one better, but some relistens will help me know more.

[bruce marshall 1,967]

Hopefully, it will be recorded in a studio.

I hate live recordings.... " cough, cough, "😔 

[Jesse 270]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Yes, might be my favorite concerto of his.

Wow! Your able to say that after listening only once? Its way to early for me to form strong opinions on this Concerto yet. I will need to listen to it more times, but i will probably love it like i do all the other Concertos. 
But i only started loving pieces like the Cello Concerto after listening many times and understanding them way better, so i could never rate this Piano Concerto so soon.
 

30 minutes ago, Tom said:

Up to this point, I think his best thrill-ride piece of this sort was the last movement of Soundings.

I was reminded of Soundings as well a bit, it also had those upward shooting strings. 

 

[filmmusic 3,133]

So, I listenet to it!

As I was afraid, it was atonal all the way through!

And I'm afraid I didn't "connect" to it, as I haven't with other Williams atonal concert music.

And anyway, shouldn't there be any themes, even atonal ones in a concerto?

I didn't hear any repeated thematic figures, so as to grab onto something..

I'm sorry that I don't share the enthusiasm, but of course I appreciate the fact that such an old man, could write all this!

 

[Jofi_ 154]

is there any estimate on when they would release the score for this? I'm assuming Ax is playing it a few more times before they allows public access

[Jesse 270]

1 minute ago, filmmusic said:

So, I listenet to it!

As I was afraid, it was atonal all the way through!

And I'm afraid I didn't "connect" to it, as I haven't with other Williams atonal concert music.

And anyway, shouldn't there be any themes, even atonal ones in a concerto?

I didn't hear any repeated thematic figures, so as to grab onto something..

I'm sorry that I don't share the enthusiasm, but of course I appreciate the fact that such an old man, could write all this!

 

I dont know what you expected? Why is it with every new concert work by Williams some people are still getting there hopes up he would suddenly write a totally uncharacteristic, Romantic, crowd pleasing concerto. 
A shame though you are not able to appreciate his concert output. 

Btw, even though this Concerto is probably more impressionistic and free then something like his Violin Concerto No.1, there are definitely recouring motifs and elements. I could pick out a few things on first listen, but will need more listenings too understand the whole piece better. The motifs are just way more subtle and varied in complex ways, rather then there being a clear "Theme". 

Also, this piece is not really atonal all the way through, not in the true sense of the word anyway. Labeling the pieces as "atonal," as if they all belong in some sort of completely seperate category, all written in a specific musical language or system, might just be a contributing factor to the barrier you seem to feel toward Williams' concert works.

[Neo Romanza 23]

1 hour ago, filmmusic said:

So, I listenet to it!

As I was afraid, it was atonal all the way through!

And I'm afraid I didn't "connect" to it, as I haven't with other Williams atonal concert music.

And anyway, shouldn't there be any themes, even atonal ones in a concerto?

I didn't hear any repeated thematic figures, so as to grab onto something..

I'm sorry that I don't share the enthusiasm, but of course I appreciate the fact that such an old man, could write all this!

 

 

I haven’t listened to the concerto myself, but I’m rather interested since you describe it “atonal”. Of course, this type of descriptor for a work that sounds, to our ears, disjointed doesn’t actually mean that the work lacks a clear direction or the musical language would make Schoenberg or late period Stravinsky proud. I’m becoming more and more familiar with Williams’ concert works and some of these pieces grabbed me immediately and some of them I don’t much care for like his Violin Concerto No. 1 (but...I LOVE his Violin Concerto No. 2, so go figure!).

 

I’m going to hold off listening to this Piano Concerto and I’ll just wait for the recording (whenever that may be).

[filmmusic 3,133]

39 minutes ago, Jesse said:

I dont know what you expected? Why is it with every new concert work by Williams some people are still getting there hopes up he would suddenly write a totally uncharacteristic, Romantic, crowd pleasing concerto. 

I don't understand why he wouldn't.. It's not that he hasn't written any tonal concert music. I love, for example, his elegy for cello.

This could be neo-romantic, or neo-classic, or impressionistic, or I don't know what else..

Anyway, I'll listen to it again of course, but if something doesn't grab me on first listen, it usually won't grab me on subsequent listens..

[GerateWohl 6,463]

Haven't heard it yet. But comments here seem to match my experience that often these more challenging concertos are best experienced live. The reception by those who were present seems much more positive. Some musical pieces just require the space of a concert hall. 

[Jurassic Shark 16,257]

4 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

The reception by those who were present seems much more positive.

 

A large part of it is probably due to justification; the need to justify money and time spent on the concert.

[pete 1,313]

1 hour ago, filmmusic said:

Anyway, I'll listen to it again of course, but if something doesn't grab me on first listen, it usually won't grab me on subsequent listens..

 

I'm actually the opposite - not to imply any positive or negative inferences, just noting that some of my favorite pieces were pieces that didn't grab me on the first listen or first several listens, and I'm glad I took the time to listen more times with more attention. Sometimes it's simply because whatever I was expecting couldn't possibly bear any real relation to the finished piece - otherwise, I'd be John Williams or any of my other favorite musicians. For me, there's often some level of "Well I wasn't quite expecting that", and then it takes some time until that piece or album or soundtrack or song begins to feel like it belongs as part of the artists' output rather than existing outside that body of work in my mind.

 

During the livestream, I only caught the final movement, but my initial reaction was positive. I liked the energy of the piece and its rousing Williamseque big finish.

I had a chance to listen to the other two movements since, but I was multi-tasking so it was really just background music. I hope to listen more attentively tonight.  But my overall impression was that it was more accessible than I had expected, and more accessible than Conversations, which I still haven't really warmed to. And at just 15 minutes - an average of five minutes per movement, well that's not a daunting time commitment, so I think that's a positive!

[Antonb 124]

Hi , would love to hear this! 

[artguy360 2,175]

Do we know the timeframe of when JW wrote this? I ask because, if JW is still capable of writing music like this after his health episodes in recent years, then not only am I very impressed but also have hope for more music from him still to come.

[pete 1,313]

8 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

Do we know the timeframe of when JW wrote this? I ask because, if JW is still capable of writing music like this after his health episodes in recent years, then not only am I very impressed but also have hope for more music from him still to come.

 

Well at least the program notes Williams wrote were recent - dated June, 2025, and show his mind is as sharp as ever. He paints a very vivid picture of walking into a jazz bar at the age of about 16. Plus the usual elegance of the written word when he puts pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

[Pawel P. 909]

I listened to the broadcast, though it wasn't easy to stay up for it – it was 2 AM in Poland, and I'd had birthday guests over earlier.

 

And I must say: "Wow! I couldn't have imagined a better birthday present".  Without diving into the details – which is hard after just one listen – I wouldn't be surprised if this Concerto becomes one of my favorites, if not the favorite. So much is going on in those 22-23 minutes (not 15!) that you immediately want to listen to it again.

 

The Concerto really seems like one of the most "accessible" ones, probably closest to John's film music (even more so than the Oboe or Horn Concertos) – other titles you guys mentioned earlier also come to mind – but at the same time, it has such a level of compositional sophistication that I can totally imagine it becoming super popular among pianists. I don't see much resemblance to "Conversations" which, I admit, didn't quite win me over. But maybe I'll grab the CD from the shlef and revisit it soon.

 

The most important thing is that Piano Concerto is not just a random collection of notes, but a real three-movement composition where the piano truly converses with the orchestra.

 

I also really enjoyed Emmanuel Ax's flawless playing. I know it's all in the score, but he played it perfectly. How clean, lively and noble it all sounded...

[Ricard 2,496]

 

John Williams joins Emanuel Ax after premiere of his piano concerto. Unforgettable moment.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMl2Ej0uSBI/

 

 

The Piano Concerto will be performed Jan 22-25 at the Boston Symphony Hall as part of an all-Williams program lead by Andris Nelsons, with Emanuel Ax on piano and Gil Shaham on violin:

 

Quote

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Andris Nelsons, Conductor

Emanuel Ax, Piano

Gil Shaham, Violin

All-John WILLIAMS program

"The Float" from Catch Me if You Can

Piano Concerto

TreeSong, for violin and orchestra

Theme from Schindler’s List

Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 

Considered among the greatest film composers of all time, Boston Pops Conductor Laureate and longtime BSO family member John Williams is also known for his concert works. His new Piano Concerto, composed for Emanuel Ax, received its premiere at Tanglewood in summer 2025. Violinist Gil Shaham gave the world premiere of TreeSong with the BSO and Williams at Tanglewood in 2000; the piece was inspired by dawn redwood trees in Boston’s Public Garden and Arnold Arboretum. Shaham also plays the poignant Schindler’s List theme, and other music from Williams’s film scores begins and ends the program.

https://www.bso.org/events/jan-22-25-john-williams-prog?performance=2026-01-23-13:30

[wickerman 38]

Is there any link to listen to the concerto right now?

[A24 5,070]

A piano concerto is like a concerto with two orchestras competing with each other. - 24

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

8 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

Some musical pieces just require the space of a concert hall. 

 

This wasn't really a concert hall though, it was the Koussevitzky Music Shed, which is more or less semi open air. Maybe that was partly the reason for a somewhat uneven recording balance (as evidenced by unusually prominent woodwinds in the - mostly very fine, btw - Mahler that followed the Williams).

 

The experts will know (and remember) better, but I'm sure this wasn't all atonal. And as I mentioned earlier, I found it more accessible than most of his concertos, and also closer to his Hollywood sound than expected - just more the Hollywood sound of A.I., Minority Report & Co than that most more casual fans might expect. Still, some of the timpani writing in the finale reminded me of 1977 Star Wars.

[rpvee 1,075]

Found this video from Carlos Simon (carlos_simon_music on Instagram) via his story. Williams looks very energetic and happy. Between this, and his still eloquent program notes, he still seems rather healthy, but just more limited in terms of mobility and naturally looking older.

 

Can anyone confirm if he spoke at all? There’s a mic right at his level. If he is going to narrate Film Night, I imagine that would be the setup.

 

 

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 11,515]

10 minutes ago, rpvee said:

Can anyone confirm if he spoke at all?

 

He didn't speak (nor anyone else) on the radio broadcast.